Court overturns teachers' sex convictions

A Canadian teacher and an Indonesian teaching assistant serving 10 years in an Indonesian prison for child sexual offenses were released on Friday after a court overturned their convictions.

Neil Bantleman, 45, and Ferdinant Tjiong were greeted by tearful family and cheers from friends and dozens of teachers from their former school as they walked out of Cipinang prison in eastern Jakarta.

Bantleman and Tjiong were convicted in April by the South Jakarta District Court of violating child protection law. They maintained their innocence and appealed their convictions.

The two men were supported by fellow teachers and the principal at the Jakarta International School.

"I want to say thank you to you all for believing in us," said Bantleman, who repeatedly hugged and kissed his wife. "We're happy that the truth has finally come out."

The Jakarta High Court overturned their convictions of sexually abusing students who attended the school's kindergarten and who are now 6 and 7 years old. The school is attended by children of foreign diplomats, expatriates and Indonesia's elite. It has 2,400 students aged 3 to 18 from about 60 countries.

A spokesman for the Jakarta prosecutor's office said the High Court's decision would be appealed to the Supreme Court.

"We are now studying the High Court's verdict and will file the appeal within two weeks," said Waluyo, who like many Indonesians uses one name.

The arrests of Bantleman and Tjiong in July last year followed allegations from parents of a 6-year-old boy at the school that he'd been sodomized.

Four male janitors were sentenced to eight years in prison in that case and a woman received a seven year prison sentence as an accomplice. Police said a sixth suspect killed himself in custody by drinking bathroom cleaner.

AP - Reuters

(China Daily 08/15/2015 page9)